Loose leaf binder



Aug. 15, 1933. LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 29. 1930 .fllllllllllllllllllllllill '1;

III

Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES LOOSE LEAF BINDER Le Roi E. Hutchings, Tonawanda, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application July 29, 1930. Serial No. 471,474

10 Claims. (01. 12913) This invention relates to loose leaf binders particularly constructed and adapted for use in connection with ledger sheets for machine posting of records.

The invention contemplates the provision of a binder which may be automatically operated by self-contained mechanism to bind or release a series of account cards or ledger sheets used for machine posting purposes in which the binder may be readily supported in a suitable rack or stand, and used in cooperation with! this rack or stand for holding the ledger sheets or cards during the posting operation.

The invention further comprehends the provision of a structure by which the ledger sheets may be readily handled in the binder during the posting operation and offset therein in a customary manner and then after the use of the binder for posting the records therein has been completed, it may be conveniently handled for compressing and binding the sheets by a simple manipulation to lay the binder on one side or cover so that one back may be depressed toward the other in compressing and binding the sheets and when compressed, will automatically look so that the binder may be stored. Then, the binder also facilitates access to the sheets for handling or removal by placing it upon its oppo-' site side or cover and then slightly depressing the uppermost portion of the back and subsequently releasing it, whereupon it will automatically expand to release the sheet body.

The binder includes a special combination and construction of parts, including locking and expanding mechanism, to obtain the aforementioned and other advantages.

In the drawing:---

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the binder in locked position, parts being broken away to show the automatic locking mechanism; the conventional binder bars and telescoping binder posts being indicated in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view'taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectiorltaken at right angles to Fig. 2, along line 33 of Fig. 1, part of the locking bar being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is an inverted disassembled perspective, from the position'shown in Fig. 2', of the automatic locking mechanism incorporated in the v present invention. 7

As shown in Fig. 3, the binder includes opposed telescoping back members 10 and 11, having, respectively, overlapping portions 12 and 13 and V of which is illustrated in Fig. 4, is provided. Each flanges 14'and 15. The "flanges 14 and 15 areprovided with rolled hinge extensions 16, through which conventional hinge pins are adapted to pass to hinge the covers (not shown) thereon. The back member 13 has a depressed portion indicated at 1'7, to provide a recessed panel for the reception of indicia bearing plates or the like, and at its ends has flanges 18, best shown in Fig. 2, with return bent edges 19. The back member 12 also has end flanges, indicated at 21, which lie adjacent the inner surfaces of flanges 18 and are held against lateral displacement by the return bent edges 19 of the flanges 18. This construction provides a slidable telescopic association of the back members so they may have a free relative movement toward and away from each other. i Spacingand supporting members 23 are arranged below and above the respective top and bottom flanges l4 and 15, each comprising flat portions 24 abutting and secured to the flanges by welding or other suitable means, and inwardly ofiset edge and intermediate extensions 25 and 26, respectively. The ends of the top and bottom flanges 14 and 15 are cut away to prowhich have metallic extensions 32 adapted to seat between the extensions 25 and the ends of the flanges 14 and 15. Conventional binder bars 2'7, having telescoping pins 28 and tubes 29 mounted in alternating relation thereon, are se- 5 cured against the edge extensions 25 by means of countersunk screws 30 threaded therein, the screws passing through the extensions 25 and engaging threaded apertures in the cushion extensions 32. Similar screwsSO are used to secure the central portion of the binder bars to the intermediate extensions 26, whereinthe screws are threaded directly into such extension. The tubes 29 are adapted to receive and support index sheets or loose leaves of paper, which may be pressed together by the binder bars 27 when the back members 10 and 11 are moved together and will be permitted to be spread apart for examination or removal when the back members are moved apart.

To limit this movement of the back members 10 and 11 together and apart and to automatically'lock these members in any desired relative position, a duplicate pair of locking units, one

includes a pair of guide bars 33, through which rivets 34 are passed to secure the bars to the back section 12, and having recesses 35" with upwardly and outwardly inclined sides 37, as viewed in Fig. 1, against which sides wear plates 38 are secured. A locking bar 41 is slidably disposed between the guide bars 33 of each pair and is secured to the back member by a riveted projection 42 which is riveted to the flange 15, (Fig. 3), and is secured against upward lateral displacement by the guide plate 44 which overlies the bars 33 and 41 and is secured in place by screws 45 extending through apertures 46 into threaded openings 47 in the bars 33. The guide plate has an elongated central slot 48, in alignment with a threaded opening 49 in the locking bar 41, and a headed screw 51 is threaded into this opening, the head thereof engaging in the slot to provide a stopfor abutment with the ends thereof to limit the outward and inward relative movements of the members 10 and 11, to which the members 44 and 41 are respectively attached. A small ball or roll 43 is placed in each recess 35 and these are retained in place by the plate 44. I

The side edges of the plate 44 are rolled to form tubular sockets 52 which slidably receive hollow rods 53 having outer ends closed by caps 54 adapted to bear against the surface 24 of the lower spacer 23. Coiled; compression springs 55 are housed in the rods 53 and sockets 52, one end of each spring abutting a cap 54, and the opposite end engaging plugs 56 which are fitted into the sockets 52 and which bear against the upper spacer 23. The springs are of suil'icient compressional strength that when the locking means are in operation, they will force apart the members 10 and 11 until the screw heads 51 abut the lower ends of the slots 48, the springs being adaptedto be compressed to positions wherein the screw heads engage the upper ends of the slots, this being theclosed position of the back members.

In operation or use, after the parts are completely assembled, as shown in Fig. l, including the binder bars 2'7 and posts 28, 29 which are shown therein in broken lines, the device is placed on a table or other support and the back members may be spread apart by inverting the device, so as to bring the flange 14 next to the table, and pressing downwardly on the flange 15. This will allow the balls or-rolls 43 to drop by gravity into the enlarged end of the recesses and will allow the springs 55 to force apart or open the back members 10 and 11, moving the member 11 upwardly .until the screws 51 abut the opposite end of the slots 48. The binder may now be turned so that the back portions 12 and 13 will lie parallel to a table or in a supporting rack and loose leaves or index sheets may be inserted over the tubes 29. To close the back members, the binder is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, causing the locking balls 43 to drop to positions engaging both the locking bars 41 and the plates 38, and the back member 10 is'moved downwardly by pressing on the flange 14, against the force of the springs. It will be seen that during this movement there will be no tendency for the balls to bind the members against which they bear since relative movement of the parts will. cause the balls to rotate out of engaged positions. After the back members are fully closed, however, as when the binder bars have fully compressed, any contained. papers or index leaves, or when the screw heads 51 engage the upper ends of the slots 48, and

downward pressure on the flange 14 is discontinned, the springs will force the back member 10 upwardly for a short distance, carrying along the bars 33 and the plates 38, "causing the balls 43 to rotate into wedged positions between the plates 38 and locking bars 41, thus tightly locking the back members against relative movement. To unlock the members, the binder must again be inverted and pressure applied to flange 15, thus freeing the balls 43 and allowing them to drop by gravity into the enlarged end of the recesses 35. It will be understood that the back members may be locked in any relative position within their limits of movement since the surfaces of the locking members 33 and 41 are plane, so that the contained papers may be conveniently and readily examined or removed from the binders, or new papers inserted therein.

It will now be seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical binder construction, constructed largely of die-stamped sheet metal, and which may be automatically locked in, or released from, any position, by properly positioning the whole device and by applying pressure to the edges thereof. The interfltting rods and sockets containing the actuating springs, together with the locking and guide bars and the interfitting side flanges of the back members will function to preserve the proper alignment of the parts, while the cover plate coacts with the locking bars to limit the open and closed positions of the back members and also forms a means of assembling and retaining the parts of the locking units in operative relation. It is to be understood, however, that the device described is merely exemplary of the principles of the invention which is intended to be commensurate in scope with the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a binder, a pair of backs having slidable telescoping cooperation for relative movement together or apart, a locking member fixed to one of said backs, a locking member for slidably engaging said flrst locking member and fixed to the other of said backs, ieans for engaging said locking members to prevent relative sliding movement thereof in one direction, a slotted guide plate overlying and secured to one of said locking members, and means on the other of said locking members engaged in the slot of said guide plate for limiting the opening and closing movements of said backs.

2. In a binder, a pair of back members, a pair of guide bars secured to one of said members, a

locking bar secured to the other of said members for sliding engagement with and between said guide bars, means between said looking bar and guide bars for automatically restraining them against relative sliding movement in one direction, a slotted guide plate overlying said bars and said means and secured to said guide bars, a stop on said locking bar for engagement in the slot in said guideplate, said guide plate having a tubular socket formed therewith, and spring means associated with said socket for actuating said backmembers.

3. An actuating and locking unit for binders comprising, .intersliding locking bars, means adapted to restrain the relative sliding'movement 'in one direction of said bars, a guide plate overlying said bars and said means and secured to at least one of said bars, means asso- 1 ciated with said guide plate and with a bar slidable relative to said guide plate for limiting said sliding movement in one direction, said guide plate having a tubular socket formed therewith,

for receiving an actuator unit for the binder. 1 0

4. As an article of manufacture, a guide plate for a binder locking mechanism, said plate having an elongated slot formed therein for engagement with means on a part of said looking mechanism, and apertures adjacent to said slot for the passage of fasteners for securing said plate to another part of said locking mechanism, said plate being formed with a tubular socket having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said slot.

5. In a binder, a back member comprising a main rectangular portion having a side flange and two opposite end flanges, the latter having return bent edges, a second back member having a main portion overlying the main portion of said first back member and having a side flange and opposite end flanges lying adjacent to and slidably engaged by the end flanges and return bent edges of said first back member, and a locking and actuating unit associated with said back members comprising, spaced guide bars secured to the main portion of said second back member and parallel to the end flanges thereof, a locking bar secured to the side flange of the first back member and guidedbetween said guide bars, means adapted for restraining said guide bars and locking bar against relative sliding movement in one direction, said means being disposed between said bars, a guide plate secured to said guide bars and overlying said locking bar andsaid means, said guide plate having tubular sockets formed therewith having longitudinal axes parallel with said bars, spring-backed rods seated in said sockets and bearing against the side flanges of said first back member.

6. In a binder, a pair of slidably telescoping flanged back members adapted for movement apart and together, a plate having a tubular socket formed in the edge thereof and secured to one of said members with one end of the socket adjacent to the flange thereof, said plate having an elongated slot formed therein, a member secured to the other of said members for movement therewith, and having a projection engaged in said slot a rod slidable in said socket, a compression member associated with said socket and rod whereby the latter is pressed against the flange of the other of said back members for opening said binder, and means connected to said back members operable to automatically lock said members against separating movement in one position of said back members and to release automatically in another position of said back members to permit movement apart.

'7. In a binder, a pair of guide bars provided with notches on the inner sides thereof having sloping sides, a locking bar having plane sides slidable between said guide bars, wear plates fitting against the sloping sides of said notches, locking elements disposed between said wear plates and said locking bar, and a guide plate secured to said guide bars for retaining said bars and elements in assembled operative relation.

8. In a binder, a pair of guide bars provided with notches on the inner sides thereof having sloping sides, a locking bar having plane sides slidable on said guide bars and having a stop thereon, locking balls disposed between said sloping sides and said locking bar, and a guide plate having an elongated slot formed therein secured to said guide bars to retain said balls, said stop engaging in said slot to limit the relative sliding movement of said guide bars and said locking bars.

9. In a locking device for a binder, a bar having a notch with a sloping wall formed therein, another bar having a plane surface slidable against the notched side of said first bar, a looking ball in said notch adapted for simultaneously engaging both bars, a stop on one of said bars, and a slotted guide plate secured to the other of said bars for retaining said ball, and said stop engaging in said slot to limit the relative sliding movement of said bars.

10. In a binder, a pair of spaced guide bars provided with notches in opposed inner sides thereof, a locking bar having plane sides slidable between said guide bars, a locking ball in each notch of the guide bars, and a back member and guide plate secured to and connecting said guide bars on upper and lower sides to space the same, enclose said balls against removal and retain said locking bar against lateral displacement relative to its bearing with said guide bars.

LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS. 

